2010 Mazda3 | new car review

Though mid-range family hatchbacks aren’t hugely popular in the region – certainly not as much as they are in Continental Europe, that’s for sure – there are a number of sharper tools in the wider range of cars.

The Mazda3 is one of them. First introduced in 2004, but facelifted in 2008, the 3 has proved a popular in many markets around the world, including the usually small-car averse America.

And it’s easy to see why it’s found so many fans. It’s got sharp Japanese styling that helps to differentiate the Mazda3 away from its Ford Focus routes, and a decent single choice of engine. The interior might be a little overloaded with featureless black plastic, but there’s a decent stereo hidden under there, plus a steering wheel which provides decent driver feedback.

The 3 is offered in four-door sedan and five-door hatchback bodystyles – the latter being the most practical. The sedan is available in standard S or mid-level V spec, while the hatchback range starts at V and is also available in top-dog V Sport spec.

The 1.6-litre engine has 105bhp and a decent 145Nm of torque. Performance might not be hugely spectacular – blame the automatic gearbox for that, though once the 3 gets up to speed, it’s pretty comfortable with the highway slog. But show the 3 a tight and twisty stretch of road and it’ll reward you with a pretty decent performance.

Leather seats and automatic air-conditioning are standard fit on the high-end model along with sharp nicely designed 16-inch alloy wheels. We’d recommend avoiding the entry-level sedan version as something to spend your own hard-earned cash on as it will look like one of the many cheap rental cars that are on streets of the region.

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